Paper roll attachment



Jan- 21 G. E. FRoELxcH PAPER ROLL ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l gg l @eo/:9e Ewell' C Jan. 21, 1941. Q E FRQELICH 2,229,560

PAPER ROLL ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 672049@ ffweg Patented Jan. 21, 1941 UWE. STATES 4PATENT OFFICE PAPER ROLL ATTACHMENT Application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 239,037

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a paper roll attachment, more particularly for dispensing paper protection or the like, usually for physicians examining or operating tables, the paper being drawn from the roll as a continuous web to be superposed on the table top to Contact the patient and severable to discard a used length thereof and to draw other lengths successively as successive patients are examined.

The present improvement in devices of this class aims to provide one which can be conveniently attached to the table either at the `manufacturing stage or sold separately for ready attachment to existing tables.

A further object o-f the present invention is the provision of a two-part device including a bracket member and a cover member, the bracket member being normally permanently attached to the table and the cover member being readily `separable therefrom to place the paper roll in position and when the latter is in position the cover member cooperating functionally with the bracket member in the operation of the roll, while concealing the paper roll and improving the appearance of thecombined table and device.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a front view of the device, being a view taken on the line I--I of Fig. 3, somewhat reduced, and with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 1, also with parts broken away and in section for clearness of description;

Figure 3 is a cross-section, somewhat enlarged, taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is an end view of the cover member;

and

Figure 5 is an end view of the bracket member, associated with a table.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the improved device includes the bracket member Ill and cover member II. The bracket member I0, as here shown, comprises an angular element having the bottom wall I2 and front wall I3, these walls being arranged at a right angle, one to the other, and extending almost co-continucusly a length equivalent to the average width of a physicians examining table. For a purpose presently pointed out, ,the bottom element I2 is slightly longer than the liront element I3, as indicated at I2a. At each end, the rbracket member is re-eniorced by a triangular piece I4 having an inturned margin I5 spot-welded as at I6 to the walls I2 and I3 respectively, with the triangular piece I4 sub- 45 stantially flush with the ends ofthe front wall I3, and spaced slightly inwardly of the ends of the bottom wall I2.

The bracket member proper I'I is in the form of an angular piece having a side face I8 which 10 abuts the triangular member I4 and is flush with the outer ends of the bottom wall I2, the member I1 being secured vin position by its other angular face I9 which is spot-welded as `at 20 to the front face I3 of the bracket member as 15 a whole. The parts I4 and I8 may also be spot-welded together as at 2| for re-enforcement purposes. Through the wall I3 and also desirably through the re-enforcement thereof .provided by the part I9 are two holes 22 for 20 yscrews 23 which fasten the bracket member to the `vertical end 24 of the head 25 of the examining `table or other equipment to which it is desired to attach the device.

As is well known, the paper roll itself 26 25 generally has' a wood core 2l through which the axle 28 may be inserted and in accordance with the present invention, the end of the axle is partially journaled in a `notch 29 in the bracket member proper Il, the roll being thus readily 3o dropped into place on the bracket and the web of paper being drawn over a somewhat inwardly overhanging extension 30 of the front wall I3 of the bracket. The upper termination of this extension over which the web of Athe paper rolls 35 out, as indicated at 3I, is desirably turned in upon itself as at 32 to form a beaded lip which offers a minimum of friction to the movement of the paper. t

When the paper roll has been thus `conven- 40 iently and rapidly placed in position on the bracket member, the cover member II is placed thereover to cooperate with the bracket member and also to conceal the paper roll. For this purpose the cover member is of somewhat box- 45 like form having `the end walls 33 and the rear wall 34 and top wall 35 which merge together through a radius 3G to conform somewhat to the curvature of the `paper roll.

In one aspect, the cover member cooperates 50 with the bracket member to retain the roll in position, and for this purpose the end wall 33 of the cover member has on its inner face a bifurcated frictional Yclamp 31 which when the cover member is inposition completes the jour- 55 nal for the roll axle 28 to retain the roll in position. The clamp 31 has a short flat upper end 38 which is spot-welded as at 39 tothe inner face of the cover end wall 33 and at the lower termination of this upper end the clamp has an angular shelf-like part 4l] which is directed inwardly of the cover `and which when the cover is pushed down into place frictionally rests upon the end of the axle 28, which extends laterally outwardly beyond the notch 29 in the bracket member, thus retaining the axle in the notch. Below this shelf-like abutment 40 the clamp is bifurcated by the integral legs 4| which extend from the inner edge of the shelf 40 downwardly for part of the distance in a plane substantially parallel with the face I8 of the bracket-member proper Il, and frictionally lapping this face, as at 42, and are then bowed slightly away from the bracket member to terminate in short nat lower ends 43 parallel with the Wall 33 of the cover and conveniently spot-welded thereto as at 44. Thus the legs 4l have a frictional clamping action with the bracket on each side of the bearing for the roll axle and this clamping action is enhanced by the wedging effect provided by the construction just described, to maintain the shelf-like abutment 40 in position to close the notch 23. To facilitate placing the cover with the clamp in position over the axle, the legs 4l are desirably separated farther apart at their lower ends as at 45 than in the vicinity of the shelf-like abutment 4B, providing a gradually reduced slot therebetween for the reception of the end of the axle.

In another aspect, the cover member cooperates to guide the web of the paper from the roll and to provide a tear-off bar therefor. For this purpose, the forward upper margin of the top cover wall 35 overhangs the beaded lip 32 of the bracket over which the paper web rolls, but is slightly spaced upwardly therefrom to leave a slit 46 between the cover and bracket through which the paper web emerges. Forwardly beyond this slit the cover margin, as at 4l, is turned slightly downwardly providing a sharp edge 48 against and along which the paper web may 'be torn knife-like by raising the web into contact therewith, as indicated at 49. It will be understood also that the frictional clamping effect of the clamp 3l retains the cover member in position against the force of the paper when being so torn, and to further guard against rotation of the cover member under 'the tearing action of thepaper, a stop 5) upon the rear inner face of the cover member may be arranged to contact the rear margin of the horizontal bracket wall l2.

This stop 50 may bein the form'of a screw rwhich also serves to clamp, as by nut 5|, to the rear wall 34 of the cover, a highly flexible leaf-v spring 52, which is biased toward the axle of the paper roll and which thus follows the roll as the latter is reduced in diameter, and desirably applies a frictional drag thereon which guards against back-lash of the roll.

For enhanced strength and appearance, the cover member may have its end margins somewhat beaded as by bulging slightly the end margins of the walls 34 and 35 as at l53 and by inturning the forward edges of the end walls 33 as at 54 to terminate `flush with the surface 42 of the clamp legs 4 I.

It will be understood that the foregoing description, which has been directed to one end of the cover and bracket, also applies to the other end, whereby these ends are identical to function as described.

So constructed and arranged, the cover member may be readily slipped olf the bracket member leaving the roll fully exposed for ready removal and replacement, and thereupon quickly restored to position without the need Vfor any additional fastening or retaining means either for the cover or the roll.

The device may be advantageously constructed of sheet metal and may have its outer surface decorated to simulate the wood surface of the examining table to which it is to be attached.

Such changes may be made as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a paper roll dispensing device or the like, a bracket member adapted to be permanently secured to a physicians examining table or other support, said bracket member having a side face with a U-shape notch in its upper edge to provide a bearing for the roll axle, a cover member having an end wall adapted to overlap said bracket member and the end of said axle, and an inverted U-shape clamp on the inner surface of said end wall frictionally engaging the said face of the bracket to maintain the roll axle in its bearing and the cover member in position.

2. In a paper roll dispensing device or the like, a bracket member adapted to be permanently secured to a physicians examining table or other support, said bracket member having side faces l with U-shaped notches in their upper edge to provide bearings for the ends of the roll axle, a cover member having end walls adapted to overlap said bracket member and the ends of said axle, and an inverted U-shape clamp on the inner surface of each said end wall frictionally engaging the said face of the adjacent bracket both to maintain the roll axle in its bearing and the cover member in position.

3. In a paper roll dispensing device or the like, a bracket member adapted to be permanently secured to a physicians examining table or other support, said bracket member having a side face with a U-shape notch in its upper edge to provide a bearing for the roll axle, a cover member having an end wall adapted to overlap said bracket member and the end of said axle, and an inverted U-shape clamp on the inner surface of said end Wall frictionally engaging the said face of the bracket, said clamp having a short flat upper end secured to the cover end wall, being then turned inwardly to form a horizontal part which rests upon the axle, being then continued downwardly in a pair of legs frictionally lapping said face and then bowed slightly away from the bracket member toward said end wall and secured thereto.

4. In a paper roll attachment of the class described1 the combination with bracket members adapted to be permanently secured to a table head or the like and having bearings for the roll axle, of a cover member having end wallsl adapted to be engaged with said brackets by a Wedging action of the brackets into the cover member between the end walls, said end walls carrying friction clamps on their inner faces frictionally lapping the brackets and having inward lateral extensions to abut the roll axle upon upward movement of the axle in its bearings both to maintain the cover in position on the brackets and the roll axle in its bearings.

GEORGE E. FROELICH, 

